I have an urgent issue I need advice on. I have been basically offered a position as a mail carrier. Of course I'd love to take the job, but the exam is worrying me. I'm sure I can handle all of it but one part - the coding part. Needing to memorize a series of ranges of addresses in a limited amount of time with good recall is not something my mind does. I've looked around the web for helps but I'm not finding what I need...
Any suggestions? Please? Oh please? haha
The test will be in a little over a week.... :eek:

That's a tough one! Do you have a sample of what these addresses are like?

There are a few processes that I have found that help me memorize.

First, it helps if it is something familiar. If you know how the addresses are formatted, you could make your own samples to memorize. Practice on them.

Second, it helps to make things relevant to other things that you know. Is there some way that you can relate the addresses. For instance:

124 Ellsworth274 Virginia825 Allen1386 Farrell9657 Willow

Every Village And Farm Waits. This mnemonic gives you the first letter of the street names. It's easier to remember than an unrelated series of street names.

Also, when possible chunk the information into small bites. People remember around 7 things at a time. Put items into groups of 5-7 to memorize more effectively.

At the end of the post, I'll give you a link to some memory strategies that I found when I was looking for information.

Having an emotional response is one way to enhance memory. That's why teachers try to incorporate humor into their lectures. Fear works, too, but I think humor is better!

Finally, stress, in limited amounts is your friend. It helps you remember. Overwhelming stress is horrible for memory formation. That's why you need to work to lower your stress level and get plenty of sleep. If you ordinarily drink coffee or tea, do so. If you don't usually do it, then do not do it on the day of the test. Routines help us stay in balance. Follow your routine.

Here's that memory link. Let us know if any of this helps! What do the rest of you think? Do you have any tricks/strategies that can help MyDadsJoy? Please post!

Thank you Connie for your reply. I will look at it more closely in the morning when I'm fresh. In the meantime, there is a sample on this page.
[url]http://postalwork.net/473_exam_questions_2.htm[/url]
Ranges of addresses on a table coordinating to A,B,C or D. Approx. 8 minutes to study and memorize. 36 questions with the chart,then 36 questions from memory. There are so many variables in this that it's confusing. There has to be a way....
7 things at a time? Not this time - there's way more to commit to memory here.
I've always avoided memorizing - it's very hard and has rarely been necessary for me. I'm being plunged in - head first! ha!
Oh, test is on the 15th. Just learned that in the past hour. So I have my dealine. I can do this.
Carla

Carla, I recommend that you get a copy of that book through your library.

Also, unless I am reading it incorrectly, you can use the coding list to work through the problems. I think that it would be very helpful to practice doing that and filling in answers.

Definitely attack this when you are fresh. Also, you can do this, even if memorization is not something that you love. It's obvious that you have given it thought, so I'll bet that puts you ahead of some candidates. Just keep after it for a couple of hours a day, every day. Distributed practice is far more effective than one large practice right before you go in to take the test.

Carla, I recommend that you get a copy of that book that is mentioned in the link through your library.

Also, unless I am reading it incorrectly, you can use the coding list to work through the problems. I think that it would be very helpful to practice doing that and filling in answers.

Definitely attack this when you are fresh. Also, you can do this, even if memorization is not something that you love. It's obvious that you have given it thought, so I'll bet that puts you ahead of some candidates. Just keep after it for a couple of hours a day, every day. Distributed practice is far more effective than one large practice right before you go in to take the test.

I do have a copy of that book and another. :) You may use the list for the first 36 problems, the second 36 is without the list and fully from memory. I didn't fully read the link that I send you - it might not describe it fully. Memory is most definitely a part of this- and I think what most people freak over. This test has an 80-90% fail rate. They do want to hire me, but I have to jump this hurdle.
I have practice tests - working thru them. Sounds like - from your advice - that I am on the right track. I have set aside a couple of hours a day - at the same time as the test - to work on this.
I'm a little scared - can ya tell? HA!
I've tried substituting $ for the numbers - fruit for the letters... such as &quot;Apples cost between 1.00 - 4.99 on (say) Amherst street. And Bananas cost 5.00 - 7.99.&quot; Thus 205 Amherst Street would would be in section A, 732 Amherst in section B. etc. But after the 3rd or 4th series, it begins to get very muddy.
Looking for ways to associate things to numbers/street names... that will stick.

I think that working at the same time of day as the test is a great strategy.

Your way of associating numbers is a super idea! I think practice will help you improve. It sounds like you have found something that works. I would suggest sticking with it and practicing a lot, rather than switching from strategy to strategy in hopes of finding a better one. That seems to be a recipe for stressing out.

Sometimes, when you have practiced something, you will start to do things automatically. I got through one college algebra test this way. I disconnected my conscious decision making and just went on rote memory. I passed! While I don't recommend this for everything, it surely helps to be well practiced in a manner of completing a task.

Thank you for checking in Connie.
It's coming along. I've found a site that lets me practice the exam - timed and online. I'm getting better, but still shaky. The rub is the time constraints. If I could study the numbers/streets/ranges the night before, I'd have no trouble substituting imagery. But the time constraints make it difficult to come up with the imagery and imprint it quickly enough.
I'm thinking that unless someone comes up with a brilliant and quickly applied technique, it will be a matter of practice, practice, practice and a whole lot of prayer.
On the positive side - well sort of - on one of the tests I scored a (get this) 95, but the next was a 62! haha The differences were in the numbers. Lots of 5's and 0's in the first - random #'s in the second. Hmm. Anyway. That's where I am at the moment. I'll be at it at 10:30-12:00 again today.
BRILLIANT ideas anyone? heh